November 1, 2006
For Immediate Release
MEDIA ACCESS PROJECT REACTS TO FCC'S CONTINENTAL
AIRLINES RULING
In response to the decision of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) that
Logan Airport (operated by Massport) cannot prevent Continental Airlines from operat-
ing an independent "wifi" system for the benefit of Continental customers, Media Ac-
cess Project Senior Vice President Harold Feld had the following statement:
"Today's decision goes well beyond free wifi in airports. It provides a powerful affirma-
tion to the community wireless movement in the United States by protecting the rights
of users to operate wifi access points and other unlicensed devices whether or not a
landlord has an exclusive arrangement with a provider."
"Just last week, the City of Boston moved ahead with a project to provide wireless ac-
cess points in the Roxbury neighborhood. The City is meeting with community groups
to discuss how to extend this wireless access into the apartments of neighborhood
residents that cannot afford cable or DSL broadband subscriptions. Had the FCC de-
cided for Massport, the landlords of these apartments could have blocked users from
accessing the free or low-cost service the City of Boston will provide. But because the
FCC has protected the freedom of tenants to use the wireless equipment and the wire-
less provider of their choice, the City of Boston and community groups can continue to
develop plans to bridge the digital divide with cheap, unlicensed wireless networks."
The case is In re Continental Airlines, ET Docket No. 05-247.
Media Access Project, a non-profit public interest law firm, represented the following
parties in the case: Masspirg, U.S. PIRG, The New America Foundation, Champaign
Urbana Wireless Network, The National Hispanic Media Coalition, Hawaii Consumers,
Freenetworks.org, Acorn Active Media, Marcus Spectrum Solutions, and Free Press.
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Contact: Harold Feld
Senior Vice President
(202) 454 - 5684
hfeld@mediaaccess.org
1625 K ST., NW SUITE 1000 WASHINGTON, DC 20006 PHONE: (202) 232-4300 FACSIMILE: (202) 466-7656